The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-30
A WOMAN AT THE FORGE.
She Does the Work of q Blacksmith
as Well as Her Husband.

She Does the Work of Blacksmith
as Well as Her Husband.
A dispatch from Beaver Falls, Penn, to
the Philadelphia Ne,os says: A little wo-
man, fair-haired and blue-eyed, with sleeves
above her elbows, standing before an anvil
in tumble-down blacksmith shop at the
outskirts of this town, sturdily striking
with hammer piece of red-hot iron held
by some person on the other side, has often
during the past five years attracted the at
tention of passers by.
"Some Tightly thing making believe she is
developing her muscle has been the COM
ment of careless observers. Those who
have taken pains to inquire have learned
the story of woman whose devotion to her
husband and children under adverse cir
cumstances is worthy of record. In the
face of bitter want and privation, the fair
haired, blue-eyed little woman stands forth
a shining example in an humble way of
what woman can do when she will.
A BLACKSMITH
Several years ago the family, consisting
of Mr. and Mrs John Murray and five chill
dren, moved here from the East, rented a
small house and shop near by, and the hus-
band began business as a blacksmith Mr..
Murray was a good mechanic and soon he
y,
though, he showed signs of possessing an
education far above that of the common
run of mechanics, and people wondered that
one of his ability should engage in such an
occupation. The wife also showed signs of
superior intelligence and education.
1t was not long, however, before Mr.. Muir
ray began to neglect his work. In a short
time his trade began to fall off and he was
reduced to the direst poverty, With a
90 L.
and with faith in her husband, Mrs Murray
took her place alongside of him at the forge
as his helper, and by her constant presence
and cheerful voice, together with the skill
she evinced in handling the sledge, soon
weaned him from his Incorporate habits.
HoRsEsHoER AND FARMER.
This has continued for several years now,
and the wife is almost as good a mechanic
as the husband. Constant practice with the
heavy sledge has made the once fair arms
like those of an athlete, and the big muscles
stand out like knotted whip cord. In the
use of the small hammer she is quite expert
also, and during her husbands absence can
do almost any job requiring the skill of a
blacksmith. She can forge a horses shoe,
fashion the nails also to fasten it to the
horses foot, and place it there with the skill
of most expert farrier.
But this is not all In addition to assist
ing her husband at the forge she has in high
state of cultivation about a half an acre of
garden truck in the patch which surrounds
the house A large flock of chickens and
other domestic fowl grow big and fat in an
enclosure prepared for them, and last, but
not least, the five little children, the eldest
of whom is but II years old, are comforta-
bly, dressed, well fed, and are being well
educated in the common schools.
A CLAssMATE OF WILKES BOOTH.
Murray was born and reared in Baltimore,
is graduate of one of its colleges, and was
a classmate of j. Wilkes Booth After
leaving college he studied for the ministry
of the Catholic church. He abandoned that
calling before taking full orders to follow
the profession of an actor for which he
showed marked ability. From the stage he
drifted to other things, and finally landed
in Beaver Falls